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Exercises/Constructive Conflict & Tension Surfacing
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Exercises for Constructive Conflict & Tension Surfacing

These exercises put a real, live disagreement on the table deliberately, using structure such as polarity mapping, debate formats, or restorative circles so conflict stays productive instead of personal. Use them only when the session's explicit job is working through disagreement, not for general sharing, creativity, or reflection exercises.

This category groups exercises by shared theme, based on what the exercise actually asks people to do.

86 exercises

Challenge Axis - Knowmium: The Un-Training Consultancy

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Creative Mindfulness Activity to Reduce Stress - Mindfulness Jar

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Polarity Mapping • WorkshopBank

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Problem Chain

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: October 2004

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Making Conflict Useful • WorkshopBank

General Collaboration Exercise · Under 5 minutes

Consensus-Building Exercise For Teams - Negotiation Activity

Team Reflection · 15 to 30 minutes

15% Solutions

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Finding Collaboration Ideas

Relationship Mapping · Under 5 minutes

PFP: August 2001

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Network Patches

Applied Improv · 5 to 15 minutes

Mix and Mingle - SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

3 Anticipating Conflict and Forming Group Guidelines

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Problem-Solving Exercise for Memory & Communication - Mimeograph

Team Reflection · 15 to 30 minutes

Create-A-Video

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Friend or Foe?

Ideation Warm-Up · 5 to 15 minutes

Switch

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Affirming Thoughts - Positive Affirmation Exercise & Meditation

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Consensus-Building Activity for Team-Building: Spaghetti Junction

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: October 2001

Relationship Mapping · Under 5 minutes

Bohm Dialogue • WorkshopBank

Circle Dialogue · 60+ minutes

PFP: September 2001

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Yes, but…

Ideation Warm-Up · 5 to 15 minutes

Create Your Own Collaboration Environment

Visual Thinking · 5 to 15 minutes

Draw a Cup

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Wellbeing North Star

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: October 2005

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

TGL: May 2007

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Challenging Balance Exercise For Team Support - Cross Cross

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

True or False

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Interactive Values Exercise for Priorities - Values Stock Market

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

LIGHT, MEDIUM, OR HEAVY

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Interactive Sharing Exercise for Partner Conversations - Vortex

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Forced Analogy

Ideation Warm-Up · 5 to 15 minutes

THE OTHER SIDE

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Bent Elbows for Audience Response

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: September 2004

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: September 2003

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Frequent Disagreements • WorkshopBank

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

2 Critical Feeling in Discussions

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Frustration and Stress • WorkshopBank

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

What are you doing

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Continuous Improvement Activity to Build Teamwork - Over There

Applied Improv · 5 to 15 minutes

Shelling Corn

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

2 Embracing Contradictions

Workspace Ritual · 5 to 15 minutes

Team Negotiation Exercise For Group Dynamics - Cross The Line

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: January 2004

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Collaborative Problem-Solving Activity for Teams - Overhand Knot

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

4 Identities & Issues Intersections

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Challenger Selling Model

Circle Dialogue · 5 to 15 minutes

Three-Lines Basketball

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

GUT TALK

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

4 Developing Comfort with Ambiguity

Ethical Dilemma · 5 to 15 minutes

Blame Culture Workshop • WorkshopBank

Relationship Mapping · 15 to 30 minutes

Cable Traversing Challenge With Team Support - Tension Traverse

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

MULTI-POLLING INTERACTIVE LECTURE

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

SALTO-YOUTH - Toolbox - Facilitation Compass Methods Lab: manual with educational tools for youth work

Youth Group Game · 5 to 15 minutes

Conflict and Tension Between Teams • WorkshopBank

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Attraction Over Argument exercise

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Restorative Circles • WorkshopBank

Circle Dialogue · 5 to 15 minutes

How Improvement Dialogues Beat Business Coaching - Management 3.0 Practice

Applied Improv · 5 to 15 minutes

7 Taking Inventory of Collaboration Skills

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Critical Collaboration

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Lack of Recognition • WorkshopBank

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Conversation Activity

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

5 Practices for Better College Discussions Workshop Series (For Students)

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

PFP: May 2002

Relationship Mapping · 60+ minutes

Shake It Out

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Vertigo

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Invocation exercise

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Duct Tape

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Assassin / Spy

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Intergenerational Dialogue

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Classroom Restaurant

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Socratic debate

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Argument map

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Rose, Bud, Thorn - Design Thinking Exercise

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Shoe Tie

Prompted Conversation · 5 to 15 minutes

Both Sides

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Loser Ball

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Zero 1, 2, 3

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Animal Fight

Team Reflection · 5 to 15 minutes

Create Obstacles

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Exploring an Innovative Approach to Enhance Discussion Board Engagement - PMC

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

Foursquare Switch

General Collaboration Exercise · 5 to 15 minutes

Blank Slate Foursquare

Relationship Mapping · 5 to 15 minutes

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